1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of content (e.g., multimedia, audiovisual, data, applications, etc.) delivery over a network. Specifically, in one aspect, the invention relates to the methods and apparatus for delivering content among a variety of devices of a network in communication with one another.
2. Description of Related Technology
Recent advances in digital information processing have made a wide range of services and functions available for delivery to consumers at their premises for very reasonable prices or subscription fees. These services and functions include digital programming (movies, etc.), digital video-on-demand (VOD), personal video recorder (PVR), Internet Protocol television (IPTV), digital media playback and recording, as well high-speed Internet access and IP-based telephony (e.g., VoIP). Other services available to network users include access to and recording of digital music (e.g., MP3 files), as well local area networking (including wire-line and wireless local area networks) for distributing these services throughout the user's premises, and beyond.
Increased deployment of wireless interfaces such as Wi-Fi, Wi-MAX and Bluetooth have also increased the prevalence and opportunity for ad hoc networking; i.e. substantially spontaneous or flexible network topologies between as few as two different entities.
Currently, many of these services are provided and delivered to the user via a wide variety of different equipment environments including, inter alia, cable modems, Wi-Fi hubs, Ethernet hubs, gateways, switches and routers, computers, servers, cable set-top boxes, PSTNs, cellular telephones/smartphones, PDAs, and portable digital music devices such as the Apple iPod™. Additionally, the services associated with such technology are typically provided by multiple vendors including e.g., a cable service provider (e.g., MSO), cellular service provider (CSP), wireless service provider (WSP), VoIP service provider, music download service, Internet service provider (ISP), PSTN telephone service, etc.
Some improvements in digital service integration have been made over time. For example, cable system subscribers (such as those of the Assignee hereof) can now access VOD, PVR, PPV and broadcast services simultaneously, as well a Internet access via cable modem, and even digital telephony (e.g., VoIP). However, these functions are still substantially disparate in terms of their hardware and software environments (i.e., the user must have a cable modem, set-top box, VoIP telephony unit, PC, etc.), and “cross-over” between the environments (e.g., moving content or data from one environment to the other) is often quite limited.
Furthermore, various mechanisms for the secure movement of content delivered by these services within the user's premises (or even outside) have been employed, including, inter alia, conditional access, encryption, the establishment of trusted domains, and digital rights management. However, methods for managing and transferring data inside and outside of a user's premises to date have required the assistance of one or more separate entities; i.e., entities separate from the premises devices themselves.
Thus, improved apparatus and methods for facilitating the distribution of digital content within a user premises are needed. These would advantageously manage and transfer data without requiring entities separate from the serving and the requesting devices (e.g., premises devices) themselves. Such improved apparatus and methods would ideally operate substantially so as to allow ready implementation on any number of different platforms and environments in a substantially agnostic fashion, and provide users the ability to browse and transfer content between equipment with different vendor's security package implementations.
Such improved apparatus and methods would also preferably be implemented in a manner that is both substantially automated and transparent to the user, and which can leverage the capabilities of existing or planned industry-standard interface technologies such as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) if desired.